On the way

Nature inspires art along Route 6 Artisan Trail

Photo submitted to Times Observer
The 2019 PA Route 6 Artisan Trail commemorative poster and postcard feature a beautiful autumn photograph of the dam at Lyman Run State Park in Potter County taken by 2018 PA Route 6 Artisan of the Year, Curt Weinhold.

Artists along US Route 6 in Northern Pennsylvania are eager to show off their scenic surroundings by incorporating the natural environment into their work. Whether it is painting, photography, sculpting, and even culinary arts, these makers are inspired by nature to create their art.

This year, the PA Route 6 Alliance is highlighting the theme “Open Your Senses on 6! Nature Inspires Art” through a poster, postcards, and a video featuring some of the PA Route 6 Artisans’ pieces that were inspired in one way or the other by nature.

The 2019 PA Route 6 Artisan Trail commemorative poster and postcard feature a beautiful autumn photograph of the dam at Lyman Run State Park in Potter County taken by the 2018 PA Route 6 Artisan of the Year, Curt Weinhold. Weinhold is especially known for his photos of the forests, plants, waterfalls, trails and natural attractions in the counties within the PA Wilds region. His images of the Milky Way from the Dark Sky Preserve at Cherry Springs State Park have inspired countless others to sign up for his late night photography classes. The postcards can be obtained from any PA Route 6 Artisan Trail member.

The works of several PA Route 6 Artisan Trail members are featured in a short digital exhibit that will air in certain sites on the trail as well as on the Artisan Trail section of the PA Route 6 website:

Naomi Teppich of the Wayne County Arts Alliance submitted a photo of a sculpture of birch bark. “My interest in bark fragments stem from going on hikes in the woods where I find different shaped pieces,” Teppich explained of her work. “They look like art to me so I bring them to my studio, shape them out of clay and use my imagination to color these fragments. They are glazed and then fired in an electric kiln’.

Other images in the exhibit include photographs of natural and painted gourds from Danette Wightman of DRW Designs and 1 of a Kind Gourds; a photograph of a swan on the Allegheny River by Karen Heltzel of Moments in Time Studio in Warren; woodturning and cane carvings by Jack Northup of the Artworks in the Summit in Kane; jewelry designed with natural elements by Dan and Jan Niebauer of Ralph Miller Jewelers and Gallery; and an abstract Impressionistic painting by Geoffrey Fowler of the Wayne County Arts Alliance.

The PA Route 6 Artisan Trail celebrates the talented artists, artisans, and makers who live in 11 counties of the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor. Over 500 artisans are represented by the galleries, retails stores and arts organizations that make up the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail. The Trail is managed by the PA Route 6 Alliance with funding support from the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.